HRH The Prince Philip Funeral

[IamnotH]

Watching on BBC 1. Wish Huw would shut up and let us listen to the bands/watch them March.

I don't think Princess Alexandra was on the invitee list

@FlattestWhite I would not be at all surprised if that was happening, and to be honest, I hope it is.

@LIZS

I don't think Princess Alexandra was on the invitee list

She was. There are photos of her arriving.

The cousin not invited was Prince Michael.

I thought it was so beautiful. I loved the Russian hymn. I also loved that the very last piece of music was God Save the Queen. I thought that was a message to the Queen. That always to the end he was hers.

I wonder if the invitation list was dictated partly by the need for social distancing. I was initially surprised, for example, that Eugenie's husband was invited given that he didn't know the Duke for long and the numbers were restricted to 30. But I now realise that if he wasn't there it would have meant Eugenie standing on her own. The same for Beatrice and Zara. It was a thoughtful guest list that ensured the closest family members had support. It really showed that it was all about family.

@LIZS

I don't think Princess Alexandra was on the invitee list

She was there.

He was related to the Romanovs on both sides I think (Alexandra was from German and thus Queen Victoria side). Dagmar the last Tsar's mother was the sister of Queen Alexandra (Edward VII's wife) - they were both Danish princesses before marrying.

I would imagine that it will consist of the Queen, her children, and their children, with no spouses aside from Camilla and Catherine

Sophie Wessex surely, the Queen is very close to her. I’d have two wakes, young ones and old ones in separate rooms and the Queen could perhaps move between the two.

@topcat2014

Oh god they have to do the steps..

I always recall Churchill's funeral where one of the pall bearers slipped on the steps.

@mosgirl

I wonder if the invitation list was dictated partly by the need for social distancing. I was initially surprised, for example, that Eugenie's husband was invited given that he didn't know the Duke for long and the numbers were restricted to 30. But I now realise that if he wasn't there it would have meant Eugenie standing on her own. The same for Beatrice and Zara. It was a thoughtful guest list that ensured the closest family members had support. It really showed that it was all about family.

I think there was at least three reasons for the spouses being invited - primarily because she wouldn’t want her grandchildren sitting alone if it could be helped, secondly 30 individual people would have been harder to seat around the chapel and thirdly I don’t think she’d have wanted to invite so spouses, Kate for example because of position or Mike because he’s been around so long, but not others like Edo or Jack.

Thank you, posters who gave the info re the Romanov connections. I will have a look at Prince Philip's ancestory. I know the Royal families of Europe are quite entwined historically.

@JinglingHellsBells

I think it's quite 'amusing' that people think the Queen has no friends, or that she will be on her own now. There are 'ordinary' widows in their 90s, married 70+ years, who do not have anyone living with them, but have many friends & family to support them.

The Queen has many close women friends if you follow 'Royal' gossip, including Angela her dresser who is supposedly a very close friend.

Over the last few years many of her circle have died, she must be one of the last of them left.

I always recall Churchill's funeral where one of the pall bearers slipped on the steps.

oh I wondered if that had ever happened, how they would get upright again, whether the others would realise and stop, the humiliation, etc, and I can imagine what pressure the pall bearers must have been under not to slip up at all.

@FlagsFiend - well 2 of the granddaughters have just had babies so maybe not up to it.

@Gogetsalife

I watched it all on the BBC. Thought it was first class.

So did I, the commentators had the wit to leave long periods with no interruptions.

@FlattestWhite

I always recall Churchill's funeral where one of the pall bearers slipped on the steps.

oh I wondered if that had ever happened, how they would get upright again, whether the others would realise and stop, the humiliation, etc, and I can imagine what pressure the pall bearers must have been under not to slip up at all.

My niece sometimes does guard of honour and its not unheard of for guards to pass out in the heat in their uniforms.

@jellybeanteaparty

Thank you *@fatladysang* I came on this thread to find out who she was as Google had failed me, hurrah for Mumsnet. Do you know anything more about her she and all the other singers were great and blended well together.

I've been right through the thread trying to find *@fatladysang*'s post and I can't see for looking, as me granny would have said.

Who was the woman singer? We tried to google her too and couldn't find anything. Her voice was exquisite!

Bold fail - God alone knows what I did there

Strange we didn’t even get a glimpse of the German relatives.
Yes, and I thought somehow disrespectful of the BBC.

Why? I very much doubt they were desperate to be shown.

I don’t want to be crass. But where did the coffin go? I didn’t see it leave the chapel. Next frame it had gone.

Some PP saying it was lowered, I don’t see that. Did it get lowered in the chapel? Can’t work it out and apologies if it’s a crass question.

@BlueLobelia

I thought it was so beautiful. I loved the Russian hymn. I also loved that the very last piece of music was God Save the Queen. I thought that was a message to the Queen. That always to the end he was hers.

That would be protocol, BlueLobelia. I did find the ceremony very beautiful and fascinating. I can't help wondering when watching people being publically obliged to partake in relgious services what they are thinking. The Queen for example is perhaps the most experienced at being on public display and so must have an inner place of detachment she can go to until it's all over. I would assume she's there but not there but maybe her religious feeling is strong enough to centre her where she is? I would have no idea how that could feel. And yet she must also know a great part of royal duty is the display of their physical presence, dead or alive. She and her family must display themselves or they are nothing.

The Russian hymn was moving in its humility before God and yet then it was followed by the Herald(?) in all his Alice-in-Wonderland finery reading out the D0fE's awards and honours with some of his regalia before the altar. Being a royal personage must be mind-blowingly tricky. I wondered if Meghan watched it remotely and maybe got more insight into where Harry was coming from than ever before.

@LIZS

Very touching service, and respectful coverage. Bet some of the ladies are regretting choice of heel now they are walking back though!

Uphill is far easier than downhill in heels! I recall seeing Zara at Eugenie's wedding, she looked like she was falling over walking down the hill very pregnant.

@SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun

They were wrong to say there were any great grandchildren there. They are all aged 10 and under and none of them went.

They didn't say that they were there. There was simply a passing reference to them.

miriamallan.com/

Miriam Allan was the female singer

@DobbyTheHouseElk

I don’t want to be crass. But where did the coffin go? I didn’t see it leave the chapel. Next frame it had gone.

Some PP saying it was lowered, I don’t see that. Did it get lowered in the chapel? Can’t work it out and apologies if it’s a crass question.

It lowered into the ground from where it was. They showed they very start of it and then went to the cameras on the buglers and left the family to watch the coffin go down in privacy.